Mounting for reflector buttons or the like



Sept. 27, 1938.

MOUNTING FOR REFLECTOR BUTTONS on THELIKE Fild Aug. 22,, 1936 v,

w. H. B R-row 2,1313 4 INVENTOK 1 I I ATTORNEYS 'ticularly designed'for supporting one ormore reflector buttons upon a base ofsheet or strip Patented Sept. 27,1938

Thisinvention relates to a mounting which. while not necessarily restricted -.thereto,- is parmaterial and a method of securing'said-buttons I or the like to the base. a

"The invention broadly aimsto provide simple.

inexpensive and effectual means for and a meth odof securing the reflector buttons or equivalent devices to a" base of sheet or'strip materialso as .to.provide completed structural units,- whichare perforation and protruding beyond-one surfaceof the base, thesaid shell having an outwardly directed marginal flange engaging i the opposite compact, flexible and durable and capableof many and varied uses. L

-- More particularly the means forinounting said reflector buttons or the like comprises a perforated sheet'or strip of material constituting a base with a tubular shell snugly 'fltted within the surface of the base together with an expanded retaining element located within the shell beyond the plane from which it protrudes, andforming on the shell an outwardly extendedbead which anchors the shell to thebase.

a further-feature the invention resides in a method of mounting a reflector buttonfor the like" which consists in removing-from a 'base of sheet 'or strip material a portion thereof so as to, leave a perforation, inserting in saidperforation a shell having an'o'utwardly directed marginal flange at one end which engages with one surface of the base and with the other end of the shell protruding beyond the other surface and carrying the reflector button, dishing the removed portion of the base, inserting the sameipto the shell with its marginal edge disposed inaplane beyond the face from which the shell protrudes and with its convex surface disposed rearwardly and 'then applying pressure to the convex rear, surface of said portion to expand the same -.and

form on the shell an outwardly extending bead for anchoring the shell in place and retaining] mounting strip havin therethrough taken approximately on sinus indicated by the lines-11mm. '1

. Fls.-3v-is'a view similar t'oFlg. -2' the position of partsiimmediately prior to -'the securement of the reflector button and shell? in:

position on themountingstrip.

illustrating --.Referring to the drawins' by 'character's'jof-ref z erence, ll designates a mounting; strip or base" of sheet material which =may be 'of any' desired length for supporting one or, more reflector buttons or other equivalent devices thereon which buttons or.:dev'ices are providedwith an enlarged flange 12 at the rear '-thereof.- j'l'he mounting strip or base is formed with a perforation 13 for each button or devicerll to be mountedxand a shell. I4 is employed foreach buttonor device which in the present instance is offa cross se'c y tional' size and configuratlonconformlng toethat of the perforation 13. The rear; endzof the shell a is provided with an outwardly directed marginal flange; II which is adapted to engage witlfthe T rear surfaceofthe base II in surrounding relation to' the perforation when the shell uzm-g serted therein, theforwardportionof the shell protruding beyond the -'forward surface of the base. 1

As illustratedin the-present'instance, the for-" ward portion I. of the shell is of reduced'cross sectional .size conforming *substantially' to the contour-of the'button flange llvand provided with an inwardly directed forwardflange H con stitutlng a seat for the outer surface of the hat ton flange l2. Where the device ll is'a reflector buttonof-glass or an equivalent fragile material subject to'breakage, a cushioning element such as a rent. our 20 is positioned'wltum the-shell in rear of the button or. device H.

The shell is secured or anchored in place by l means of a retaining element II which is contracted so that the cross sectional size thereof ad- "3 mits of its insertion throughthe rear end of the cpl shell with its marginal portion disposed in a plane beyond the forward surface ll of the base j ll after which it isexpanded to form on the shell an outwardly extending bead f22- overlying the forward surface of the base'thereby securely an choring the shell in position. while the element II further functions to-lock and retain thereflector button or device It in place.

The method of mounting the reflector button.

materiai consists preferablyin'cutting or punch-f ing from theba'se Ill aportion or disk I] toform a perforation therein, then inserting in said perforation I3 a hollow ll an outwardly v a 'w. (ii-equivalent device on a base ll of sheet or strip directed flange l5 at the rear end thereof which engages with the rear surface i6 of the base iii,

tion II which is out or punched from the base ii! is utilized as themeans for securing or anchoring the shell in place, although within the scope of the inventionanothersimilar piece may be utilized,if desired. In any event, the element 2i which corresponds approximately to the cross sectional size of the perforation I3 is dished or buckled so as to reduce its cross sectional size suf ficiently to permit of its insertion through the rear end of the shell I with its convex surface" disposed rearwardly and its marginal edge wdisposed in a plane'beyond that ofthe forward face I! of the base, after which pressure is-iapplied to the convex rear face thereof to expand the same and form an outwardly directed marginal head 22 on the shell, forwardlyof the forward face ll of the base 10 thereby anchoring the shell securely to the base 10.: It is, of course, apparent thatwhere thebutton ordevice i l is formed with a flangednrear end i2,. as; illustrated, and the forward end of the shell with an inwardly directed-marginal flange-:i9, the said button orrdevice" is also looked and retained in place by means of v the .expansibleretaining element 2i; p 1

From the foregoing it will thus be apparent thata novel means for and-Emethod of'mounting onelormore reflector buttons or equivalent devices has been devisediand, while in the present disclosure the buttons or devices ll,-theshellsll and the perforations l3, together with the retaining element2l are disclosedas circular, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to this particular shape as itis evident that the con-l, figuration of these parts may be varied within the scope of the invention.-

What is claimed is: a 1. A mounting for areflector button comprising a base having ,a perforation, a reflector button mounting shell fitted withinithe perforation, pro-. I v

. Within the rear end of saldshell withthe mar ginal, edge thereof disposed in a plane beyond truding beyond one surface of the base and having an outwardly directed marginal flange engaging the opposite surface of the base, an-out pressed continuous bead formed onthe shell beyond. the plane of the'face from which the shellprotrudes defining an internal continuous groove within the which is normally expanded radially so, that its marginal edge flts withinthe groove and coacts with the shell bead to anchor the shell to said base. v a

2. A mounting for a reflector button comprising a base having a perforation, a reflector .button mounting shell fitted within the perforation,

protruding beyond one surface of the base and having an outwardly directed marginal flange engaging the oppqsite surface of the base, an out protrudes defining an internal continuous groove within the shell, and a bendable retaining disk which is capable of an initial contraction radially fl to a diameterwhich will pass through the shell and which is normally expanded radially so that its marginal edge fits within the groove and coacts the reflector button within the mounting shell.

withxtheshell bead to anchor the shell to said base, saidretaining disk also functioning to hold ,3.-A method of mounting a reflector buttonon r a base, consisting in forming aperforati'on in the base, inserting-into said perforation a hollow shell having. ;an outwardly directedifmarginal flange at 'the-rear end thereof engaging with the rear surface of the base and with the forward portionofl the shell" protruding beyond the forward-surface of the base,'inserting through .the rear eniilzof said shell =a rearwardly dished retain- 4 ing elmentwiththe marginal edge disposed in a.

plane b yond the forward surface oLthe baseaand.

applying pressure to said dished elementtoer. pand the sameand form on the shell an outward ly extended bead for anchoring the {shell to the I 4. A met 0d of mounting a reflector button on a base consisting in punching a portion from said base to form aperforation inserting-into said perforation a; hollow shell having an ioutwardly' the forward surface of the base and with the convexsurfacethereoi disposed rearwardly and then applying pressure to said removed portion of the base so as to expand the same and form onthe shell an outwardly extending bead for anchoring theshellto the base. i Y H. BARTON. 

